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1 The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific PaperChia-Hsiang Chen

2 Why a Scientific Format?efficiently communicating scientific findings to the broad community of scientists in a uniform manner.allows the paper to be read at several different levels.whatever level a person reads your paper (beyond title skimming), they will likely get the key results and conclusions.

3 Comments on scientific languagePublish or perishPublish in English or perish

4 Title, Authors' Names, and Institutional AffiliationsThe title should be centered at the top of page 1; the title is NOT underlined or italicized.the authors' names (PI or primary author first) and institutional affiliation are double-spaced from and centered below the title.

15 INTRODUCTIONEstablish the context of the work being reported. This is accomplished by discussing the relevant primary research literature (with citations) and summarizing our current understanding of the problem you are investigating;State the purpose of the work in the form of the hypothesis, question, or problem you investigated; and,Briefly explain your rationale and approach and, whenever possible, the possible outcomes your study can reveal.

19 MATERIALS AND METHODSthe subjects used (plant, animal, human, etc.) and their pre-experiment handling and care, and when and where the study was carried out (if location and time are important factors);if a field study, a description of the study site, including the physical and biological features, and precise location;the experimental OR sampling design (i.e., how the experiment or study was structured. For example, controls, treatments, the variable(s) measured, how many samples were collected, replication, etc.);the protocol for collecting data, i.e., how the experimental procedures were carried out, and,how the data were analyzed (statistical procedures used).

28 Describe how the data were summarized and analyzedhow the data were summarized (Means, percent, etc) and how you are reporting measures of variability (SD,SEM, etc)data transformation (e.g., to normalize or equalize variances)statistical tests used with reference to the particular questions they addressany other numerical or graphical techniques used to analyze the data

30 RESULTS What are the "results"?:Organize the results section based on the sequence of Table and Figures you'll include.The body of the Results section is a text-based presentation of the key findings which includes references to each of the Tables and Figures.Statistical test summaries (test name, p-value) are usually reported parenthetically in conjunction with the biological results they support.Present the results of your experiment(s) in a sequence that will logically support (or provide evidence against) the hypothesis, or answer the question, stated in the Introduction.

31 Textcontrary to what you may have heard, not all analyses or results warrant a Table or Figure. Some simple results are best stated in a single sentence, with data summarized parenthetically:

32 How to refer to Tables and Figures from the textGermination rates were significantly higher after 24 h in running water than in controls (Fig. 4).DNA sequence homologies for the purple gene from the four congeners (Table 1) show high similarity, differing by at most 4 base pairs.Table 1 shows the summary results for male and female heights at Bates College.

33 The "Acid Test" for Tables and Figuresit must be able to stand alone and be interpretable.a clear and complete legend (sometimes called a caption) is essential.

65 DISCUSSIONDo your results provide answers to your testable hypotheses? If so, how do you interpret your findings?Do your findings agree with what others have shown? If not, do they suggest an alternative explanation or perhaps a unforseen design flaw in your experiment (or theirs?)Given your conclusions, what is our new understanding of the problem you investigated and outlined in the Introduction?If warranted, what would be the next step in your study, e.g., what experiments would you do next?

67 Appendices raw data maps (foldout type especially) extra photographsexplanation of formulas, either already known ones, or especially if you have "invented" some statistical or other mathematical procedures for data analysis.specialized computer programs for a particular procedurefull generic names of chemicals or compounds that you have referred to in somewhat abbreviated fashion or by some common name in the text of your paper.diagrams of specialized apparati.